Has Anyone Had This Play?
 

Interesting play last night in Dodgers/Rockies. 1st and 2d, 2 out. Visting pitcher comes set. Just before pitcher starts toward the plate, batter asks for time then starts to wave his hands as pitcher begins his motion, and starts to back out of the box. PU does not grant time, but pitcher stops his delivery.

Balk. Naturally, the batter then hits a single, scoring two runs and tying the game and the team later wins in extras.

Baseball is not my sport. I thought this was an interesting play. Is there any option for the PU here? Or are pitchers to be taught always to complete their delivery once they begin?

Batter stepped out of the box, so it's not a balk, time is called. The balk should not have been called in the situation you described.

Sorry, wish I could find video, because that was not what I meant to convey. He was not out of box yet when the pitcher stopped delivery. He was bailing out, but not out yet. Of course, as soon as the balk was called, he walked a good 15 feet away from the plate (with a slight smirk) like none of it had anything to do with him.

Rule 6.02(b) Comment: If after the pitcher starts his windup or comes to a "set position” with a runner on, he does not go through with his pitch because the batter has stepped out of the box, it shall not be called a balk. Both the pitcher and batter have violated a rule and the umpire shall call time and both the batter and pitcher start over from “scratch.

Even if he hadn't completely gotten out of the box when the pitcher came set, I would still apply this rule - the batter's actions in part caused the balk, and he should not be rewarded for it. The hand waving especially would convince me to not penalize the pitcher.

I had one earlier this year where the batter (while in his normal hitting position) verbally says the word "time" while F1 is in is stretch. Batter remains in his hitting position for probably one second or two, then F1 starts and stops his delivery. I did not grant the time request, but called the balk because in my judgement, that situation did not cause the pitcher to stop his delivery. (it's hard to describe w/o seeing it)...However, I have simply "started over" several times before. Tough for me to penalize the pitcher in these situations.

Stepping out of the box does not mean time is to be called. It's up to the plate umpire to decide whether to grant time.

Quite true, but if the batter steps out of the box and upon seeing this, F1 stops his delivery, I am not calling a balk.

I agree. Either PU didn't see what the OP did, or PU kicked it.

I think the key here is what I put in bold type. Once the batter starts to back out of the box, it distracts the pitcher enough to cause him to stop his delivery. At this point, I am invoking Rule 6.02(b), and using, of course, the Major League comment (not N.A. comment), paragraph 2, which reads:

If after the pitcher starts his windup or comes to a “set position” with a runner on, he does not go through with his pitch because the batter has stepped out of the box, it shall not be called a balk. Both the pitcher and batter have violated a rule and the umpire shall call time and both the batter and pitcher start over from “scratch.”

The actions of the batter can't cause the pitcher to balk, bottom line
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I don't think anyone here is, which is why I deleted that portion of your quote. I was focusing on the part where you stated that when a batter steps out of the box, time is called. I just didn't want you to think that time is called just because the batter steps out. It's not; it's the umpire's prerogative.

Except that Ozzy didn't say it, Canada6 did.

Not only is "Time" not called when a batter steps out, I have a strike on just about any pitch that is delivered. (Not the OP, I know.)

Well, whoever said it. My point has been made.

You must mean the pitches that are in the strike zone.

I'm willing to bet that most here will call a strike on any pitch that is close. ;)